http://www.geocities.jp/numano333/index.html
...I'm thinking about modifying an existing system (midtower) to be completely fanless. (use of large heatsinks and heatpipes)
The problem is, how do I calculate the necessary heatsink size for CPU, GPU, HDD, etc? What about the loss of efficiency caused by having a heatpipe between the CPU and large heatsink? Granted, it sounds like I'm turning this into a mechanical engineering problem. For heatsink specs; they give size, weight and Thermal Resistance (C/Watt for 80 °C rise).
Say the plan is to turn the case, cooling, etc (ie: the infrastructure) to be flexible and compatible with desktop components. ie: Today I may have dual-core. Tomorrow, maybe quad? What about a GF9600GT? Is that asking for way too much?
Essentially, I wish to work out the theory, so I can build it without too much trial and error OR experimentation.
I've seen Core 2 Duo's specifications on the Intel site and they offer a TDP. (Although, I'm curious as to what they define as the TDP...Is it max? Or typical use? What's the real value? Should I assume 200W and plan for that?)...What about GPUs?
So far, I'm looking at all sorts of combinations.
* A pre-built fanless case as alternative? (Zalman and mCubed...This gets expensive!)
* Laptop parts? (good for low power, expensive, limited availability compared to desktop parts.)
* Fixed shaped heatpipe vs flexible?
* Location of heatsink? Side panels? On top?
* Attaching copper block to heatsink? Screws with thermal goop? Epoxy with thermal poop? (The screws approach introduces thermal resistance).
* Heatsink attitude? Flat or vertical?
One other question is in regards to "above ambient temp". How do I know how big is this suppose to be? (in reference to CPUs, GPUs, etc).
To see what I mean, look at the Thermal Performance and Temperature Rise Above Ambient part in this link. (scroll down until you see the graph)
http://www.conradheatsinks.com/technical-details.html
Any help, opinions, and suggestions are welcome.
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